S.F. program offers help to tenants evicted under Ellis Act

Low-income San Francisco tenants evicted under the state's Ellis Act will have a better shot at getting into existing affordable housing, after Supervisor David Chiu and Mayor Ed Lee on Friday announced the launch of a new program.

The Ellis Act Housing Preference Program, created by legislation that Chiu authored, will allow tenants who have lived in their homes for more than a decade and are evicted under the Ellis Act to receive priority when they apply for approximately 2,000 city-funded or city-run housing units. The Ellis Act allows landlords to evict tenants if they want to take the unit off the rental market.

"We must do everything we can to help San Franciscans facing Ellis Act evictions," Chiu said. "This safety-net measure assists our most vulnerable tenants and reinforces our commitment to building more affordable housing as quickly as possible."

Lee said the program will offer immediate help to "longtime tenants and working families" who lose their homes while the city works with state lawmakers on changes to the state Ellis Act.

Lee said the work on dual fronts is to ensure "that we remain a city for the 100 percent."